


Under A Faded Guise

by RottenNeighbor



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Affairs, Cheating, F/M, Love Triangles, Selfish Alastor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:48:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27600946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RottenNeighbor/pseuds/RottenNeighbor
Summary: He became a King, finally married to Charlie Magne, and had what he wanted. But why was he so disappointed by it all? Boredom overwhelmed the radio demon to find more, even returning to a familiar face that made him feel right. (nsfw, romance drama, mild-horror.)
Relationships: Alastor & Charlie Magne, Alastor/Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59





	1. Boredom

**Author's Note:**

> The entire story will be written from Alastor's point of view.

I wouldn’t have thought of how _bored_ I’d be, of being King.

How long has it been since I’ve taken up the companion throne, next to my wife Charlie? Perhaps just two years, close to being three in July. It was a fascinating time to be me, crowned and sitting like the King I’ve wanted to be for ages.

Yet now, I am just so… disappointed. _Bored,_ and disappointed.

What makes a King anyways? What I’d love to do to crush this blackened realm in the palm of my hand and be the tyrant that I deserve to be. To be that ruler that could whip this shithole up in tip-top shape. Oh, but Charlie… the beautiful, dutiful little wife of mine… her virtues still hold true, those promises of making Hell a better place, to redeem demons and send them to Heaven.

A waste of my time.

As we sat together at our royal thrones, a world below our feet that ‘needs to be fixed,’ by her majesty, and with her darling trophy husband by her side to make sure her dreams are to be made a reality. I’ve said before, and my sentiments never changed after all these years in this royal marriage, that it’s such a stupid idea.

Worthless, even. A bother.

She knows that I don’t believe in her, oh but, _‘that’s just grumpy ol’ Alastor being a grump,_ ’ is what she’d say, becoming numb to my constant criticism of what she wants. Yeah. What she _wants_ , not what she needs. A dramatic difference in words that contradict a risky goal, and I’ve begun to see it for myself. Well, I always have. Though I didn’t think I’d stay long enough to let it become a pestering reminder each passing day.

Charlie and I had married, that much is obvious.

Did I love this girl?

Well, do elephants fly on earth?

No.

No, I didn’t, not anymore. A point in my life, however, did I love Charlie? Sometimes I think back and wonder if that feeling was actually mutual rather than romantic, I could’ve stopped to think about it, but I didn’t. I loved the power, a crown to bestow my righteous wrath upon the filth that quiver at my presence. But, I couldn’t do anything to have… fun.

Despite being King, I’d say that the Magne family have all the strings pulled here. That much wouldn’t be so surprising, as I am no hell-born beast like them. It’d only make sense that they’d keep their operation on Hell as controlled and cultured, so boring and jaded.

Perhaps this was why humans didn’t want to go to Hell.

As I think back to the past, Charlie’s hand clasped in mine, all I can think about were the old hotel staff that were there with us. I hadn’t seen Husker in such a long time, I had begun to miss that old cat’s angry responses and his grumbles. Nifty had gone back to Rosie, being replaced by these jumpy impish demons that follow Charlie around. Angel… despite how much his sexual jokes were a bother, he was a card, a natural entertainer that knew how to make me laugh, even when I didn’t want to. Where has he gone? Back to Valentino? Maybe.

The face of the female, greyish moth was vivid to me, Vaggie was… unforgettable, to me.

She was incredibly intriguing as a person, much more as a demon. I had grown used to the fact that women groveled at my feet the moment my presence was sensed, the sounds of flirty greetings and swooning sighs followed me as I would leave them. Vaggie, she never once bent over for me, nor would acknowledge my grand Overlord status. No, she simply said hello with a sneer and glared if I stared long enough in her direction.

I hadn’t had that negative response from a woman in centuries. Even as a human, convicted for my crimes as Louisiana’s Cannibal, I was more popular than the wretched Prince of England. Wordy negativity that were speared towards me never wavered my attention, as words could barely cut deep into what was left of my blackened heart. Vaggie said things that would make a grown woman draw her claws out, or make a man babble in boyish rage.

But they were welcoming to me.

How strange that Vaggie was much different from Husker. Sure, they both twin the same outrage and grumpy attitude, yet Husker has always been such a typical old man with alcoholic anger. It was always suspected of him to have spurts of callous escape him, to the point that it became boring.

But Vaggie was not that. She wasn’t typical. Behind that facade of a proud woman laid the unsure and ruptured innocence she wanted back. She lashes out so cruelly to save what’s left of her goodness. Yes, that was it. Vaggie still had something to fight for.

And me? What of me?

… Where is Vaggie, anyways?

I let my mind drift away so much today, I could hardly pick up on the things Charlie was saying to me, as well as the castle staff. I quietly stood in front of a wide mirror in the corridor, looking at my reflection sharply, as if it could speak back. Even if my reflection couldn’t talk back, at least I knew I could get some kind of response from my shadow…

Come to think of it, where was he?

In the reflection, as I stood underneath the fresh white lights of the corridor, I saw that nothing shadowed behind me.

What? How could he detach himself from me? And, how long has he?

My senses trailed the castle walls like statics of electricity shivered through the interior, in search of him, and yet I couldn’t capture his presence anywhere. It would be the first in ages that I become so bewildered, scoffing slightly after as I came to accept that my own shadow had left me as well.

Just like the hotel staff did.

As I kept smiling, walking down the corridor, I couldn’t hide how the idea made me feel… unwanted. Abandoned? The new word almost made me trip on my own feet, staggering to keep balance.

So was that it? Had I lost the last person that could bear me in such a natural way? My eyes closed as I mentally noted how this life I’ve created was not natural. How I felt for Charlie was far from love now, it was a loss. And, this castle can burn down for all I care.

I huffed and stormed off to my study, slamming the tall door behind me. With a flicker of my fingers, I magically made sure to keep the door locked tight. I would rather be alone now.

My study - once barely touched - was now my sanctuary, a blissful and peaceful peace of mind, where I could collect myself and find inner peace again, with my books and my studying. Oh, how I still loved studying, not just of Hell, but still of Earth and what humans did. A modern time it is up there, and with some strings pulled, I could have my own set of books that human authors have written over their mortal years.

Accomplishments, evolving lifestyles, cities, and inventions that would keep putting humanity one step further from their beliefs in a God. They were practically their own Gods up there, with their electronics and their inventive ways to figure out their own problems. New medicine, studying to find cures to unstoppable diseases and digging into their own past.

I was missing out on so much.

Hell was good, but, sometimes you miss Earth. The rotten realm that did whatever it wanted, debating the reality they’d face once they die. Crimes based on selfishness, not once thinking about God or even Lucifer, truly was much more fun to kill ignorantly than to recognize the judgemental end.

Was that it? The reason why Vaggie was so unique to me? She still had qualities I found attractive, akin to how humans functioned. They did things because they thought it was for the good, and thought they could change. And yet the humanly rage and detestable manners would hold her back from being thoughtful of her actions. I never believed in changing a serial killer, but maybe Vaggie did, even if she wanted them dead.

Cute.

I chuckled slowly to myself, now at my desk, feet kicked up and my arms folded behind my head, slumped back in my groaning chair. A sigh escaped me, reveling in the memories I had with that girl. She was a spot of bother, but a consistent range of emotions and proudness I admired.

My smile never drifted, though… something didn’t feel quite normal. I was smiling as usual, but I felt something within myself that I hadn’t felt before. I would’ve panicked and quietly tried to make the feeling go away, yet this was no threat. No, no. 

This feeling, it was… warming. I had gone so stiff from a long working day that this strange warmth was slowly melting it away. Another sigh exhaled, eyes closed as I removed my long coat, neatly folding it to place against my chest. What I felt was so kind, brilliant, and relaxing. As I focused on my body, trying to figure out what could be the cause, I could finally feel something against my ear.

My eyes opened momentarily to look up, but I saw nothing. I looked because the feeling I felt on my ear was of a hand petting me. My deer-like ears seem to have picked up on the sensation, slowly pinning back in a submissive manner, the welcoming touch of some unknown force comforting me in the study’s swaying silence. It felt like a hand was massaging my ears, something I hadn’t felt in a longtime.

I always detested anybody to touch my ears, even Charlie, I couldn’t find it in myself to be comfortable. I’d say my ears are the most sensitive, nevermind the rest of my body. It took a lot to feel satisfied by somebody’s touch, and whatever it was here, I couldn’t have been happier to feel it done right.

I felt myself sink further in my leather seat, the groan of the chair following with my bliss. I couldn’t help but let a throaty rumble of a purr escape from me, mixed with my tired voice. The hand - as I would have to refer to this invisible force - moved slightly down to pet my cheek. I felt my skin prickle as I could feel what could be the knuckles of a hand brush against my cheek, gently even. My smile was closed but clear.

 _‘Sleep well.’_ I could hear a voice, it was as though it was coming from within my head, rather than from the room. My eyebrows rose briefly with intrigue, feeling the same hand cup my cheek gracefully. _‘I’ll always be here if you need me.’_

It wasn’t the voice of anyone I recognized from the castle. This was a woman’s voice, one he hadn’t heard in such a longtime. The way it could smoothly speak in a hushed whisper, reassuring and uninterrupted, made the knocking against my chest calm down. Was this a charm I was under? If it was, I hope I stayed spellbound.

And just like that, it left as fast as it came. The warmth melted away, the icy air coming back to run up my arms and face. My eyes parted open slightly with discontent, my smile finally faded to a slacked frown.

To a normal person, they’d be greatly horrified that some invisible force, a ghost or whatnot, had contacted them. But, I was graciously thankful for them. I felt halfway refreshed, wishing they had stayed the whole night to cherish me. My hands rose up to feel the empty space in front of me, a childish hope that this figure was touchable or still there. No, nothing. My hands grasped at nothing, same as a newborn grasping for that same warmth to return.

A disappointed sigh exhaled out of me, hands grasped the arms of my chair instead.

I should go to bed.

I grimaced to the idea of going back to the bedchambers with my wife. No, no, perhaps I’ll just sleep in my study tonight, eyeing the lounging couch at the side of the room, next to a filled bookshelf of some popular fiction that were from the human realm. That looked more cozy than being upstairs.

“Ugh, am I such a bad guy for becoming so distant?” I asked myself, though soon chuckled after. Of course I was, it’s not a complicated question.

But oh, was I lonely. The gentle, ghostly touches gave me an unprovoked reminder that I was dreadfully lonesome, without friends, without allies, without a natural feeling of compassion. Where did the old Alastor go? That, I couldn’t answer it quite clearly.

“I’ll know who to ask when it’s morning time.” I made a scoff, looking up to the wall. The floating red candles dimmed a yellow light in the study, casting shadows everywhere. And yet, mine was still not present. “Oh I’ll get my answer yet.”


	2. Shadowed Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story is written from Alastor's point of view.

As the morning sun rose lazily beyond the grassy hills, the summer humidity was still lightly present, even after a long night of darkness. In the dead of 6 am, a lone cloaked figure silently wandered through the royal streetway and towards the gated entrance of the kingdom, their body becoming transparent at-will to phase through the iron bars.

Perfect timing, for it was at that moment that the static sensory picked up on their presence. I was practically standing outside within seconds, in front of the giant-heightened double doors of the castle, as though I were a pissed-off parent waiting for my delinquent child to march up the short steps and get yelled at. All I was missing were unflattering hair curlers and a rolling pin.

My shadow saw me once he was close enough, his look of shock made the furrow of my eyebrows deepen. Then, a fold of his deer-like ears and a noticeable look of regret washed over him. Good, he should feel guilty, for leaving me alone.

"You stupid man!" I hissed in a harsh whisper, but that was hardly an insult. I've said worse. "Get in here and tell me where you've been!" I had half a mind to yank him into the castle by one of his long ears.

My shadow and I went back inside, trying to avoid any further noises until we had reached the study. I was practically jogging but tried not to be in a rush. Even if I was mad, I wanted to know where he had gone. What were those sweet touches?

Once in the study, I again egged him to tell me everything.

“Well?” I watched as he slumped down in the desk’s leather chair.

The figure gave a rather annoyed look, meanwhile prying his jagged mouth open with a clawed finger. The ripple of the black skin was nothing new to us, as he finished opening his mouth and flicked the last bit of flesh away from his finger. Instead of speaking at once, he finally let out an exaggerated sigh. God, so bratty.

“I was out with a woman!” The shadow finally spoke, his tone disinterested. “No, we didn’t fuck or anything.”

“I’m aware.” I looked at him like he was an idiot. “Just a little petting on the head, huh? The massage of the ears? You know I can’t stand that.”

The shadow waved a dismissive hand. “Oh don’t think we share the same distastes. I’ve wanted to have the handling of someone so kind.” He feigned sorrow, eyes fluttered and another slump added in his posture. “I’ve gotten so bored here, Alastor! Why can’t we just leave this place? It’s not even worth being a King, now is it?”

“Hush.” I rolled my eyes. “As if it’s so easy to walk away from this life.”

“For  _ you _ .” He cackled at me. “But I can go wherever I want, even see a lovely lady in Hazy Mile.”

Hazy Mile… From where the castle and Pentagram City were located, it would take at least 6 trips to reach Hazy Mile, a long trip that would be approximately miles away from us. Even with our teleportation ability, why the hell was he going so far to see some woman? I grew more confused and frustrated, more-so at how my shadow has been acting up so much lately.

Sure, he was only acting this way out of my own hidden impulses that he’s been hanging onto these past few months, but he has never detached himself from me. Unless this was another symptom of this sort of abandonment. Again, that word made me feel a discomforting pang in my chest.

“Who are you seeing?” I sighed, running my fingers through my swooping bangs in frustration.

“Vaggie.”

“... What?” I blinked.

“You heard me. Vaggie!” My shadow rose up to his silhouette feet, his outstretched jovial smile brightened his previous smoldering look, arms outstretched to twirl on one foot. “Oh it was so nice to see her again! She still looks as beautiful as I remember her!” He danced effortlessly, phasing through my body in another twirl, passing through the study’s furniture. Even the floating candles swayed in unison.

Vaggie… the moth girl was still alive? And she was OK with seeing my shadow?

I couldn’t lie, I felt a thrill trickle up my back as my shadow’s glee filled the room, I could feel his utter happiness right now as he bounced around and kept babbling about her. I hadn’t felt this way in awhile, it was starting to make me even more curious.

“Tell me, tell me,” I caught his hands on time to pull him into our own dance. “What’s she been doing? And how the fuck did you know she was even out in Hazy Mile?” I spun him around gracefully with one hand.

He chuckled, a boyish gleam in his eyes. “I had become her penpal for a longtime, after she had left Pentagram City years ago. Did you know she became a writer in Hazy Mile? I have some of her books here in the study…” He turned to look at a bookshelf that was across the room, gliding us both over to retrieve a book with a purple spine.

I recognized it, one of my favorite fantasy adventures. I recalled it was a rewrite of Alice in Wonderland, but more of a dystopian thriller and blood. But wait, Vaggie wrote this? I looked at the cover, eyeing the author’s name.

V.B. Grey.

That’s not her name.

“An alias she goes by.” My shadow answered, shaking me out of my momentary trance. “She had wanted a new start elsewhere, so she goes by V.B. now.” The fond smile on his face as he re-read the name of the author made me feel another pang of emotion. “After so much writing between each other, she finally let me come see her. Oh, you should’ve seen the look on her face when she saw me appear in her writing room.”

“Let me guess,” I thoughtfully hummed, “she shoved a spear in your face?”

“Oh, even better. A knife!” He barked out a short laugh. “She thought I was the real you, coming to kill her or something! Oh, it took so much convincing to lower her weapon, but we eventually came to a middle-ground through talking.” He hugged the purple book against his chest. “Vaggie was still the same, kinda, but… things had changed.”

I couldn’t help but snort, laughing not at Vaggie, but at how my shadow looked so smitten. “Dear boy, you look like you’re ready to go right back to her.”

“Maybe I will!” His white eyes flashed in excitement. “After we had come to a neutral standing, I… talked about some things with her.” He hesitated for a moment, before continuing. “I was in need of comfort after a long talk, and well… she held me.”

I stopped and listened.

“I know you hate to be touched, but I couldn’t help it. Seeing Vaggie again, the memories swarmed me. I felt happy and sad. We talked a lot and I wanted to stay the whole night with her… We didn’t do anything other than cuddle!” He quickly reassured me again.

Even if he defied me, he still had me in his thoughts. For once, that was something sweet I could accept. But not as sweet as what Vaggie had done for him. I knew I would eventually pry for answers as to what they both talked about all night, but this time, I had a hunch that he wouldn’t tell me one thing. Not a single thing. It wouldn’t be the first time he held off information from me, even if we are practically the same person. He still had his own personal reasons.

“What if I go and ask Vaggie herself?” I smirked, winking when he looked back at me with widened eyes.

“You wouldn’t!” He scoffed, but still watched me with wide eyes.

“Oh but I would! Now that I know where she is, I could go see her…” Part of me was wanting to joke, laugh and psyche him out, but another part of me wanted to. I hoped he didn’t catch the glimpse of uncertainty that was slightly tugging at the corner of my lips.

Instead of him defensively telling me to stay away from his little penpal crush, my shadow instead came closer and put a blackened hand on my upper arm. Even if his eyes were white with no pupils or lining of color, I could feel that he stared at me with reassurance.

“Please go see her.” He quietly nodded his head. “I… I know you think of her often. Sorry.” He lowered his head. “I think this will be what you need. I knew it was for me. So… could we go see her again?” He asked, even though it sounded like a silent plea.

And for once, I didn’t find it in myself to be brash or criticize him for having such a hopeful outlook. I stared back with half-lidded eyes, rubbing my neck thoughtfully.

“Okay.” I finally nodded. “We’ll see her.”

* * *

As if I would really want to let anybody know where we'd be going. How strange it would be, to tell the curious staff, ‘oh I am going to see my wife’s ex. I’ll be back in a couple days.’ That’s just asking for a freight train to run me over. I knew how Charlie felt for Vaggie, which would be… 

“Resentment.” I adjusted the cuffs of my dress shirt. “I wouldn’t know why she feels so strongly about Vaggie, but it’s never changed.” Think of it like an ocean that never changes the pressure of its waves, it’s just constant roaring and crashing, no calmness. “But regardless, we’re keeping this little adventure between each other. We’re telling them we’re going to Chokehold for a few days to discuss the new changes and environment of the city, got it?”

“Aye-aye, cap’n,” my shadow rolled his eyes, as if he’d care. “Go tell your wife and let’s get going.”

“Right.”

In the bedchambers we shared, Charlie Magne was awake and at her vanity. She looked as though she had just freshened up, fixing her hair in the mirror. Brushing her bangs to the side, Charlie soon spotted my reflection approaching. I stared back blankly at her reflection, with my thoughts making a mental note of something I always noticed every morning:

Charlie is always beautiful. Flawless, like the doll she aspires off of. Even now, and every day, never could I call her hideous or ugly, it seemed like Charlie was incapable of ever being unacceptable to the eyes. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Going somewhere, Allie?" Charlie cooed.

I tried hard to not roll my eyes at that nickname.

"Leaving Pentagram City for a couple of days, love. Visiting Chokehold yet again. It's still in disarray after the previous Cleansing, I believe some nearby colonies are also in shambles still."

What felt wrong was that it was so naturally easy to lie to her. Smoothly, I had my own excuses, nothing felt made-up. Every word felt seamless, and by the continuous doting look on Charlie's face, it worked.

"We really need to start putting more progress in Chokehold. They always feel behind." Charlie sighed, her tone still soft and respectful. "You'll be fine out there without me?"

"I'll be back in one piece." I continued smiling, taking her hand to stand her up. "I'll be back as soon as I can, it'll be like I never left." I held her close and we shared a kiss.

Her arms were around my shoulders. I held her sides with my hands.

Even then I felt nothing.

"Be safe out there, Allie. I love you." She smiled sweetly again, taking one of my large hands to kiss it.

Those three little words only made my mind reel back to questions. As Vaggie's name continued to bounce around in my head, I still thought about how she was once Charlie's lover. She heard those words too. Did she still hear them today?

"And I you." I did the same gesture, kissing Charlie's hand. "Now, don't wait up on me!" Dramatically I left with a dismissive wave of my hand in the air, quickly as I could, with Charlie's voice bid me farewell, another ‘I love you,’ followed me behind.

As soon as she was out of sight, she was out of mind.

With everything packed for a trip, out of the royal grounds through a portal that was only manifest through a spin of my all-seeing septer, the portal ripped through a fabric of reality to let ourselves dip into the vortex within, and as we entered, the rip sewed itself up, and we were gone.

Out of the kingdom with my shadow attached.

* * *

I should have felt more concerned with what Charlie would think of my traveling. I felt a rush of heartbeats thump against my chest, sickly sweet with how horridly furious she’d be when she realized I had gone to see her ex-lover. It wasn’t as if I was doing anything immoral, but I knew she’d have half a mind to rip me apart for ever saying one word to Vaggie.

If only Charlie were consistently violent towards me, I’d be more thrilled about our dull marriage. As I thought about it, I felt tickled by the idea. Strange, that I’d find the appeal of a threatening woman to be so attractive. My mind wandered to Vaggie again, thinking about how she was naturally aggressive towards me.

“Keep your eyes peeled!” My shadow shoved me by the shoulder. “We’re almost there!”

“Would you calm it down? You’re acting like we’re visiting a carnival.” I scoffed, furrowing my eyebrows. “It’s just Vaggie.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” He stuck his reddish-black tongue at me. “When we arrive, I’ll lead you the way.”

Another rip in the void, stepping out into the new part of the realm.

Hazy Mile was called such a thing for some quaint history, populated by demons that only made up under two-thousand residents. It was more of a valley, within the windy countryside of Hell, nearby the River Styx. The grass was a luscious jet-black, the sky was lighter-red with smoky black clouds, and it was peacefully quiet compared to the kingdom and city noises I always woke up and slept to.

The houses and stores along the valley were just as quaint, tightly knit and cozy, snugged in the dips of the upward dirt road the buildings stood aside to. There were some demons out and roaming, but they didn’t seem to notice who I was, passing me by with disinterested looks. I appreciated the ignorance for once.

“Her home is the bookstore.” My shadow hurried me along. “It’s like a combination of a bookstore and a home.

We found the bookstore, definitely the look of a normal home, but with an opened front door and a street sign that happily read, “Grey’s Bookstore.”

“Don’t follow me inside.” My shadow quickly stopped me, hands on my shoulders to put me in an immediate halt. “I don’t know if Vaggie will be OK with seeing you just yet. I’ll ask her if she wants you to come in.”

“You’re wasting my time.” I shoved him aside. “I’m not going to stand around here! Let’s go!” I ignored my shadow’s detests as I marched up to the front entrance and let myself in.

A step inside let off the sound of a ring, a typical doorbell noise to announce a customer’s presence. I looked around briefly to find where that sound came from, surprised to see no bells attached to the door. Odd.

“Welcome in.” A voice came from another room. My ears perked up, and I could feel a small twist in my chest. That voice was more than familiar. “All sellable books are here in this room with me, make yourself at home.”

Before I could think of anything to reply with, my shadow shoved me aside to fly straight into the room the voice came from. I was shocked by the speed of his movements, shortly hearing a startled yelp once he was out of sight. I paced to the doorway, peeking inside to see who was there.

A young woman with short white hair and greyish skin stood at a bay window, she was being embraced tightly by my shadow. She didn’t notice me watching, but all the memories were flooding back into me like a tidal wave.

Vagatha.


End file.
